Weekend Getaway
by Catalina Leigh
Summary: When John's in what Cam calls 'a mood', Vala takes it upon herself to make sure he sticks around, and enlists Sam's help. *set during The Return Pt. 1*


**Disclaimer: I own nothing :(**

 **A/N: So, like I said with my last story, I love the head canon that Cam and John are friends, knew each other before, etc. With my crazy new schedule I only got like 12 hours of sleep all week, so today is a I'm not getting out of bed day. That led to a little scene popping up in my head and I started typing. Originally, this was gonna focus more on Cam and John's friendship, but then Vala entered the** **picture and she's Vala, so *shrug*. I think John and Vala would be good friends too.**

 **Anyway, enjoy! (Takes place during The Return Pt. 1)**

* * *

Weekend Getaway

SG-1 passed SG-4 as they were entering the gate room, the latter having just returned from a mission.

When Vala opened her mouth, seeing the state of the other team, Sheppard cut her off with a quick, satirically grumbled, "Don't ask."

Vala's shocked expression as he walked past did not go unnoticed by her team; Sheppard was usually the most patient, and had the easiest relationship, with the space pirate.

"Don't take it personally Vala," Cam cautioned. "He's just in a mood."

Sam turned her head to hide her smirk as the rest of the team just stared at Cam.

Any further conversation was aborted when the gate came to life, and Cam said, "Alright people, let's go."

The planet they traveled to was currently uninhabited. The village that used to be here had been wiped out by the Prior plague. But Daniel seemed to think there might be some Ancient ruins and a reference to Merlin here, so they were checking it out.

It wasn't until after they had done a quick check of the village that Vala decided to finish their earlier conversation.

"So…" The way she drew out the word automatically had the others casting her suspicious glances. "Cameron, what makes you say that John is 'just in a mood'?" she asked curiously.

Sam bit her lips in amusement at Vala's spot on imitation of Cam. Even Teal'c raised an eyebrow. Daniel was still focused on his notebook.

Cam rolled his eyes, not looking back at her.

"Do you have inside information?" Vala continued, smirking pointedly as she strode up next to him, giving a small wink.

Now, Sam was outright smirking.

Shooting both women a glare out of the corner of his eye, Cam retorted, "I've known the guy since flight school."

"And?" Vala pried.

Cam shrugged. "He's got moods." When he saw Vala about to speak again, Cam shook his head. "Look Vala, I know you like Sheppard. All I'm saying is be careful."

"You worry about Colonel Sheppard's state of mind, Colonel Mitchell?" Teal'c questioned.

Sighing, Cam looked up to see Sam watching him now too, and not in amusement this time. Glancing at the rest of the team, Cam looked at the Jaffa and replied, "The guy just got kicked out of Atlantis and he's stuck under a mountain babysitting a group of green SGC rejects." Shrugging, Cam looked forward again. "Granted, he's changed since I knew him before, but the guy I knew only had two speeds, and he would never have left the air if given a choice. He took any seat he could get as long as he got to fly."

"It's why he took the Antarctica post," Sam agreed quietly.

Cam met her eyes for a moment and nodded before continuing in a somewhat lighter tone, "Now, he's doing the milk runs no one wants, and his 'team' isn't even competent enough for those. Hell, I'm surprised he joined the Stargate Program in the first place, but at least in Atlantis he got to fly the Puddle Jumpers."

"General O'Neill gave him an ultimatum," Sam interjected with a smirk that was explained when Daniel clarified, "At least that's how Jack tells it." Sam shrugged and added, "John says he compared it to flying."

"I thought John flipped a coin?" Vala shook her head, waving it off. "But of course John is upset!" She punctuated the obviousness with an eye roll. "Those stupid Ancients were incredibly rude. And it's obvious General Landry doesn't like him, especially after putting him with those idiots," she stated categorically. "But still, that doesn't mean he has to take his frustration out on me."

"He's not frustrated with you Vala," Sam reassured her. "He's just —"

"In a mood," Cam finished with a wave of his hand that clearly stated he'd already said this.

"Perhaps Colonel Sheppard was merely attempting to avoid a conversation where he would be unable to contain his frustration," Teal'c suggested.

Vala's face contorted into a pensive expression.

0

Two days later, Vala cornered Sheppard in the locker room.

A few of the other men in there appeared disconcerted by the woman's presence, but Sheppard just paused on his way back from the showers when he saw the space pirate standing in front of his locker.

"You do know this is the _men's_ locker room, right?" His tone was dry, and he seemed completely unperturbed by the fact he was wearing nothing except a towel that was wrapped around his waist. He simply continued over, and raised an eyebrow until she moved to the side enough for him to open his locker.

"I'm aware of that, yes." Vala nodded astutely.

John smirked. "So, was there something in particular you needed, or are you just here for the view?" he asked drolly as he began pulling out his clothes.

His comment drew some uneasy glances, but neither of them paid any heed.

"I came to kidnap you so we can run away together." Her simple and straightforward reply added a depth to her light tone.

The words brought more looks, this time riveted, but again they were ignored by both. Vala just watched John expectantly, and John just stared at her for a moment, his expression unreadable.

Then he lost the towel and finished buttoning up his jeans as he returned, "Got a destination in mind, or is that need to know and I don't?" His tone was just as light as hers, and his words brought a grin to her face.

"You'll find out soon enough." She leaned in and kissed his cheek, bouncing up on her toes as she practically vibrated with excitement. "Now, hurry up so we can get going."

0

"Shouldn't I check out a car from the motor pool?" John wondered as Vala led him into the parking lot.

"Not necessary," Vala smiled, tugging on his hand to keep him moving.

John understood why a moment later when Cam's Mustang came into view, with both it's owner and Sam standing by the back.

"Finally!" Cam threw up his hands. "Can we get going now? I'd like to miss rush hour."

Vala rolled her eyes while Sam smirked, looking highly amused.

John looked between them. "Where are we going?"

"I told you, you'll find out soon," Vala reminded him, wrapping her arms around his, though still holding onto his hand.

Sam took pity on him though. "Road trip," she told him with a smile. When he opened his mouth, she answered before he could speak. "Relax. I talked to General Landry. We've all got three days off."

"And stuff's already loaded up, so can we get in and go now?" Cam threw in.

Throwing a sideways glance at Vala, John raised an eyebrow. "Should I be worried?"

Vala grinned and leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Not at all."

John didn't look convinced as he watched Vala and Sam — after she'd given him a smirk — climb into the backseat.

Cam shrugged helplessly. "She's insane." Gesturing John to the passenger seat, he said, "Come on, let's get this show on the road."

0

When they stopped in Lincoln, Nebraska at an all night diner, John finally caved and asked, "Ok, so come on guys…Where are we going?"

He'd waited until after the waitress had left their coffee and taken their orders. There were only a couple other people in the diner — truckers.

Cam and Sam glanced at each other, and then at Vala, who just grinned.

John hadn't said anything the whole drive so far, just chatted with Cam about cars and aircraft and sports, listened to Sam and Vala doing the girl talk thing in the backseat, having debates about which music to put on and which gas station snacks were the best, and generally just enjoying the drive. But now, he glared at the alien, and then raised his eyebrows expectantly at his fellow Air Force officers.

Sam sighed, wearing an apologetic expression.

Cam just sat back, looking smug as he commented, "Told ya," to his teammates.

Vala rolled her eyes and turned in her seat to look at John, wrapping her arms around his as she explained, "We are going to General Jack's cabin in…Minnesota, I believe." She glanced at the others for confirmation, and Sam nodded. Looking back at John, she added, "I spoke with Daniel, and he said that Jack likes to go fishing to get away from…" Her eyes shifted around as she searched for the word. "Work," she finished with a small smile. "We went there a while back for…team bonding, I believe is what General Landry called it."

Cam snorted, and while the looks Sam and Vala sent him were sharp, John's was curious.

"Anyway," Vala continued, rolling her eyes as she turned back to John. "Teal'c said Jack called it relaxing, and since you've been in what Cameron calls 'a mood' — "

Sam chuckled at the impersonation, while Cam rolled his eyes, and John scowled at the other man.

"I thought you could use a nice little relaxing getaway," Vala finished. "So, I asked Samantha, and she got all the necessary permissions." She was giving John a look that was easily read as 'please don't be mad'.

The irritation on John's face slowly faded, and he looked away from the space pirate and back at the other two.

Cam shrugged, but Sam, while she looked apologetic, had a soft but firm tone when she said, "You've had a crappy couple of weeks. A weekend away from everything with some friends will do you good."

John shifted. "I'm not that bad." His tone was lighter and the tension in his body had loosened up.

Another snort erupted from Cam. "Man, I've been waiting for you to pull the same shit with Wallace that you did with Turner."

The women looked at John when he choked back a chuckle.

Smirking, John shot back, with minimal cynicism, "Somehow I doubt General Landry is as stupid as Colonel Campbell was. Don't think I'd get away with it here."

"You'd still do it," Cam retorted with a knowing smile.

John just shrugged and took a drink of his coffee.

Sam shook her head. Smiling, she picked up her own mug and commented, "I don't wanna know."

"I do!" Vala exclaimed, looking between the men with wide-eyed curiosity.

0

They made it to the cabin shortly after sunrise.

Since they'd all taken turns driving, they'd all managed to get some sleep as well, and were rested enough that when they arrived and began to pile out of the car, Sam and Vala grabbed the groceries they'd picked up at the store in town and declared they'd get started on breakfast while Cam and John unpacked the car.

"Should I be worried that Vala packed my bag for me?" John wondered as he pulled out his duffle bag and stared at it with the caution one would treat an IED.

"Probably," Cam chuckled.

John shook his head and sat the bag down to pull out the cooler while Cam removed his and Sam's bags and sat them down by Vala's.

"Look," Cam started with a sigh, causing John to shoot him a wary glance. "I'm sorry." When John furrowed his brows in confusion, Cam admitted, "This might've been my fault." Now, the other man raised a questioning eyebrow, and Cam could see the suspicion there. "The other day when you kinda snapped at Vala — " He waved his hand in a 'you know what I'm talking about' manner. "I may have said some things when she started asking questions after I told her not to take it personally."

"Things like…?" John asked, and Cam heard the edge in his voice.

Cam took a deep breath and looked the other man in the eye. "Things that may have made her think you might leave the Program altogether."

After a moment of just staring at each other, John let out a long sigh, and turned to lean back against the car. "You might be right," he confessed quietly.

Sighing as well, Cam moved over next to him and mirrored his posture.

They didn't look at each other, just stared out into the forest and watched the sun rise higher in the sky.

"You miss it." Cam spoke softly. It wasn't a question.

"It's home."

Cam barely heard the words, and when he glanced over, John was looking over at him as well.

"And I never thought I'd say that about anywhere."

Nodding, Cam replied gently, "I know."

Turning his attention back to nature, John rubbed the back of his neck.

"I know it sucks," Cam shrugged before bumping John's shoulder with his own. "But you've got us."

John didn't reply, but the corner of his mouth turned up in a half-smile.

0

"We're really gonna fish?" John asked, baffled as he watched Sam pull the fishing gear out of the closet.

Cam looked equally as puzzled.

Even Vala's expression was somewhat worried.

Sam just smirked, distributing the gear and telling him, "Grab the cooler."

Five minutes later, they were all sitting on the dock, drinking beer and just watching the pond.

0

That evening — after hours of just talking, drinking, eating lunch, and enjoying the day — as they sat back, drinking beer, and watching the sun go down, John commented, "Ok, I get it."

"It's not bad," Cam agreed.

Sam smirked.

Vala grinned. "See! I told you this was a fabulous idea."

0

After the sun had disappeared, and they'd eaten dinner while chatting about nothing, Vala looked a little nervous as she brought up the obvious.

"Ok, so, what now?"

"I brought movies," Cam smirked, jumping up from the table and rushing to his bag. A minute later he was holding up a stack of DVDs. "I learned my lesson from last time."

"Popcorn?" John wondered, looking at Sam.

She grinned. "In the cabinet."

Ten minutes later they were all curled up on the couch watching _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ on Cam's laptop.

0

A week later, Cam and Daniel were in the locker room trying to rid themselves of their soaked BDUs — they'd gotten stuck in a storm on the latest mission — when they heard Babbis rambling excitedly about a new plant they'd discovered — and Wallace encouraging him to continue.

Cam looked over and saw John with his eyes closed, and — if the look on his face was anything to go by — barely restraining the urge to strangle the two members of his team.

Even Daniel was shooting murderous looks at the two — of course, the archaeologist had spent a good chunk of the last twenty hours trapped in the equivalent of a hurricane alone with Vala.

"Hey Shep," Cam called, getting John's attention. "Don't forget to pick up the beer." He was smirking widely when John's brows furrowed in confusion. "Movie night. My place. Remember?"

A smirk formed on John's face. "As long as you remember to shower first," he retorted. "You smell like shit."

Cam chuckled at the teasing remark. He knew it was true; before he'd made it to the cave where they took cover, he'd gotten caught in a mudslide.

"Just no more treasure movies," Daniel said, scowling at John. "You're not the one Vala bugged for two days straight after you showed her the Indiana Jones trilogy."

John smiled. "So…no _Pirates of the Caribbean_?"

Daniel glared.

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 **A/N: Hope you liked this little story! :) I looked up the drive from Colorado Springs to Minnesota where Jack's cabin is (thank you Stargate Wiki), it's about 14 hours or so, and Lincoln is about the midway point. Also, I couldn't** **remember if/what Vala called Jack, but I'd read another story (called The Kirk Myth; it is a Cam/John, Sam/Jack story, but if you like that I recommend it) on a different site where she called him General Jack, and I feel like that would be something she'd say.**

 **Anyway, as always, reviews are greatly appreciated!**


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